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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a match
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. craft — a skill
  7. craft — boats
  8. mine — for digging
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. land — a country
  12. ball — a great time
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. ball — a dance
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. lie — to recline
  20. land — ground
  21. pass — a permit
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. land — to come down

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com